Spectral domain optical coherence tomography imaging of dry age-related macular degeneration.

Spectral domain optical coherence tomography is a useful new technology for imaging and measuring geographic atrophy (GA) and drusen, the hallmarks of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The advantage of using this novel technique over other imaging modalities for dry AMD is that the same scan pattern can be used to image both drusen and GA while obtaining reproducible, quantitative data on both the area of GA and the morphologic features of drusen. Moreover, this strategy enables the clinician to follow the disease as it progresses from drusen to both GA and choroidal neovascularization. No other imaging modality is able to quantitatively assess all forms of AMD. This unique feature of spectral domain optical coherence tomography makes it the ideal imaging modality for clinical trials designed to assess new drugs for the treatment of dry AMD.